Gregor Paul: The Sam Cane comparison that's impossible to ignore

Sam Cane (L) and Richie McCaw. Photo / Getty Images.

OPINION:

In a week where comparisons were freely being made between the All Blacks of today and legends of the past, the most striking and indeed most obvious link wasn't actually made.

Caleb Clarke did indeed invoke memories of Jonah Lomu at Eden Park, but as impressions go, Sam Cane did one of Richie McCaw that was impossible not to see.

It was the second time in consecutive weeks Cane slipped back in time to disguise himself as the man many feel was the greatest All Black in history, having done a fairly convincing job of passing himself as McCaw in Wellington.

The comparison hasn't been made until now because it's almost deemed sacrilegious to compare anyone with McCaw. His status is such, his achievements so great and respect so high, that it feels awkward to even be considering another human in the same way.

Celebrating a Sam Cane try during the All Blacks V Wallabies rugby match held at Eden Park. 18 October 2020 New Zealand Herald photograph by Dean Purcell.

It's also, probably, too soon to be talking like this. McCaw had 15 unforgettable seasons in the black jersey, 10 of which – 111 tests - were as captain.

Cane has been in permanent office for two tests and so it's premature to make the link and yet it was definitely there.

McCaw was never about out and out brilliance or particular moments necessarily. His game was built on continuous effort, his extraordinary work-rate, bravery, commitment and desire to be involved which meant that over the course of 80 minutes his influence was enormous.

And this is where the connection can be made with Cane, whose work-rate both in Wellington and Auckland was in McCaw territory.

What further evoked memories of McCaw were the numerous times in both Bledisloe tests when the All Blacks number seven jersey could be seen to fly ferociously into some kind of contact and then in an impossibly short time, be seen to be doing it again.

In 2013, McCaw unexpectedly ended up playing against Japan in Tokyo after he'd incurred an injury a few weeks earlier and needed a run to hone his match fitness ahead of the tougher European challenges that awaited.

All Blacks captain Sam Cane is surround by Wallaby defenders in the last minutes desperate push to score a try in their 16 all draw in the first Bledisloe Cup rugby test. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

He captained a side that was mainly full of actual or relative newcomers, most of whom had never played a test with him.

After the game, many of them were still shocked at the intensity they had witnessed. They realised that their captain was almost playing a different game to them. They were in awe of his aerobic capacity, the way he hit rucks so hard, tackled with so much venom and scrambled to his feet in milliseconds every time he was on the floor.

They realised then where the benchmark for excellence actually sat and it will be much the same for the current All Blacks having experienced Cane's first two outings as captain.

He brought that same relentless drive to both games. He was fearless in all the contact areas as he always is, but the difference was the speed at which he operated and the desire he showed to keep getting himself involved.

Sam Cane (L) and Richie McCaw. Photo / Getty Images.

Captaincy has driven Cane to another level, most likely because he's a graduate of the old school which says the best way to lead is through performance.

Again, here's another similarity with McCaw who, after coming under pressure for the 2007 World Cup failure, simplified his approach from 2008 after resurrecting a piece of advice he'd been given by former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick.

Having battled to enjoy the job when he was first given it in 1992, Fitzpatrick had a breakthrough moment when team manager John Sturgeon sat him down and said to empty his mind of all other thoughts and focus on being the best player. Do that, said Sturgeon and everything would fall into place.

It proved to be stunningly insightful and became McCaw's driving force from 2008 and is something to which Cane also subscribes.

Cane was the All Blacks best player in Wellington and he made the podium in Auckland alongside Clarke and Beauden Barrett.

So like McCaw, Cane is going to lead through sheer exuberance, determination and commitment that will translate into highly effective and influential performances.

And as a final link to his predecessor, he's also been willing to adapt and redefine himself as a player.

McCaw went through multiple incarnations throughout his long career – starting life as a fetcher and ending it as a bruising ball carrier and tackler, more akin to a blindside or at least a six-and-a-half role rather than a number seven.

Cane has started the international programme as a vastly different player to the one he was in Super Rugby.

His ball carrying has been superb having obviously worked on his footwork to give him a better chance of beating the first tackle. He's played that little bit wider, linked play more than he has and almost returned to being the support running openside he was when first appeared in test football in 2012.

It's not as if a comparison can yet be made between McCaw and Cane in terms of footprint in history, but there are similarities developing that suggest the link between the two will become stronger in the next few years.